Bowling alley bumper systems have been available since at least as early as 1965. Such systems were designed to be used by children and/or the physically handicapped as well as others who lack the physical coordination or strength to bowl, i.e., project a majority of the balls over the length of the alley without ending up in one of the gutters. Early systems require relatively difficult steps to set up a lane or lanes for so-called "bumper" bowling. For this reason, a number of bowling alley operating personnel were reluctant to promote "bumper" bowling or to encourage children or the handicapped to use the lanes.
One approach to overcome the aforementioned problem is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,401,933 to Conklin et al. That patent discloses a convertible bowling lane having a gutter with a ball receiving surface on one side and a ball deflecting surface on the opposite side and means for moving the gutter between a ball receiving position and a ball deflecting position. As disclosed therein, the gutter is pivotally mounted on a support member which is disposed on the opposite side of the gutter from the bowling lane. The system does present the appearance of a normal bowling alley when in its recessed position, but is relatively complex and somewhat expensive to install.
More recently, a bowling alley bumper mechanism such as the one disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,900,024, overcame many of the earlier problems. In such systems, an elongated bumper is mounted alongside and parallel to each alley gutter. The systems also include movable supports that permit the extension of the bumpers to guard the gutters when guarding is desired and retraction of the bumpers to expose the gutters when normal alley operation is desired. The Chandler et al. system is less costly and less complex than the Conklin et al. system, but extends upwardly above the level of the alley even in its recessed position. It also presents an obstacle to walking along the normal capping and may lead to individuals walking on the alley.
An improvement to the Chandler et al. system is disclosed in the copending application of C. Dennis Lord, Ser. No. 07/758,003, filed on Sep. 12, 1991, and assigned to the same assignee as the present application. As shown therein, the Chandler et al. system may be constructed to present a more pleasing appearance, but still results in an elevated portion adjacent to the alley which may be objectionable to some bowlers and/or alley owners.
It is now believed that the availability of the Chandler et al. type systems, coupled with a change in demographics and business pressures, will encourage bowling alley operators to put more emphasis on bumper bowling to encourage children to learn to bowl, attract families and provide a challenging game for the physically handicapped. For this reason, it is presently believed that there is a demand for an improved bowling alley bumper system which provides a more normal appearance when not in use, is relatively inexpensive to manufacture, easy to install and remove, protects the mechanism from damage and, at the same time, provides ready access to the rear of the lanes without walking on the lanes.
One system for providing such advantages is disclosed by U.S. patent of Stephens, U.S. Pat. No. 5,181,716, which is assigned to the same assignee as the present invention and which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference. In that system, the bumper system utilizes a portion of the gutter to prevent a bowling ball from falling into the gutter. And, in a preferred embodiment of the system, a portion of the gutter adjacent to the lane is moved upwardly or downwardly along an arc in an XZ plane with little or no lateral movement along the Y axis.
It is now believed that there is a significant demand for an improved bumper system wherein the bumper is more easily extended and/or pops-up into position with a minimal effort by a bowler or bowling alley proprietor. It is further believed that a system in accordance with the present invention presents a pleasing appearance, is relatively inexpensive to manufacture, easy to install and service, is relatively durable and will require minimal maintenance when subjected to normal use.